Having chosen to start a new era with a blockbuster trade for Jimmy Butler on Wednesday, the Golden State Warriors decided not to add another veteran piece prior to the trade deadline.
The new-look Warriors took to the floor with four starters in their 30's on Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls, with a rookie big man holding down the fort at what's been a revolving center position in recent times.
Coming up against Nikola Vucevic -- the big man Golden State could have traded for before the deadline -- Quinten Post again made a statement with four threes and 18 points in just over 20 minutes.
It was the second time in just over two weeks that Post had thoroughly outplayed Vucevic, with the 52nd overall pick also earning a standard contract with the Warriors in the wake of the Butler trade.
The Warriors need to make a decision on Quinten Post
While Post has been incredibly impressive since entering the rotation (and then the starting lineup) last month, there's still a long way to go to prove himself as a starting-calibre player center on a team that still holds deep playoff aspirations.
The Warriors have doubled down on those aspirations by trading for Butler and handing the 6x All-Star a two-year, $112 million contract extension. Now that Golden State have committed to a 35-year-old Butler, 34-year-old Draymond Green and a nearly 37-year-old Stephen Curry, the front office has to be very meticulous with this roster to ensure they give the veteran star trio the best possible chance of claiming a championship over the next couple of seasons.
That's particularly the case with who they put around those three in the starting lineup. The center position has often been a quandary for Steve Kerr across recent years, and now Golden State have the remainder of the season to determine whether or not Post is the starting big of the present and future.
It might be too late for the Warriors to make significant noise this season, but they have to enter next season with a clear idea of what their starting lineup looks like. Ideally Post proves himself an effective starting big over the next 30 games, yet if he doesn't, then Golden State must have plans to find a reliable one in the offseason.
That's probably really unfair on a young player who's still played only 200 NBA minutes. However, it's also the reality of the situation the Warriors have found themselves in, and the fact they've invested heavily into Butler and this new trio with he, Curry and Green.